Caen Tramway

Context & Issues

The project consists in replacing the current Bombardier hybrid tramway on tyres (Guided Light Transit), inaugurated in 2002, with a system running on rails that will be more reliable, higher-capacity and hence more attractive, in order to counter the decreasing ridership and overcome the many technical shortcomings of the GLT system. The new system was inaugurated in 2019.

The project also involved creating, during the same period, a short 1.5 km line (including 900 m of new line) to serve the major amenities located in the Presqu'île district of the city.

Project characteristics

Inaugurated on 27 July 2019, the new Caen tramway comprises 23 new Citadis X05 vehicles that now serve 37 stations spread along 17 km of infrastructure, which has been significantly reconfigured.

The new network is operated as 3 lines and will be more reliable, higher-capacity and hence more attractive, in order to counter the decreasing ridership and overcome the many technical shortcomings that hampered the previous tramway on tyres.